


Bath Time

by gretelbugs12



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Obi-Wan Comforting Anakin, Parental Figure Obi-Wan, Possible ASD Anakin, touch sensitivity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:07:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27581794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gretelbugs12/pseuds/gretelbugs12
Summary: Obi-Wan gives nine-year-old Anakin a bath after he ends up covered in mud. From this Obi-Wan learns there may be more to Anakin's dislike of water than it being a dislike. He enlists the help of Madame Che and a few other helping hands along the way to help Anakin be the most comfortable he can.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 14
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm currently doing my master's in ABA which is a field that helps kids, adolescents, and adults who have ASD (Autism Spectrum Diagnosis). I wanted to incorporate the possibility of Anakin being ASD but I am no sense a professional in this field had and am not licensed. This is merely my opinions and thoughts written down I do not wish to offend or insult anyone who is or knows someone who is ASD.

“Okay Anakin, I think it’s time for a bath,” Obi-Wan said to a mud-caked nine-year-old Anakin. It hadn’t been more than six months since Qui-Gon had passed but they were coping together. Anakin was still extremely anxious about being in a new place with new people without his mother. Obi-Wan was almost always sad about losing his Master and had a hard time sharing his feelings. They complimented each other and tried their best to make one another feel better in times of sadness. So far Anakin and bathing had gone over very poorly because Anakin very was afraid of the water. Which made sense because he was a child who grew up on a desert planet for nine years with nothing but a small ration of canned water to last an entire week. Obi-Wan knew he needed to wash and clean himself but the most he had managed so far was giving Anakin a standing sponge bath. This time though, the young boy was so covered in mud from his slip and fall that a full shower and then bath was going to be necessary. 

“No Obi, I don’t want to get in the water. I don’t want to,” he said with agony in his voice and tears welling in his eyes. 

“How about this,” Obi-Wan said crouching down to be at level with him, “how about I get cleaned up with you since I now have some mud on me too?” Anakin had a contemplative look on his face as he sniffled, rubbing his eyes smearing the mud with his tears, “okay….you’ll stay with me?” 

“Of course I will now let’s go get clean,” Obi-Wan said, extending his hand which Anakin took and they headed down the hall to the fresher. 

When they got to the bathroom Obi-Wan stripped off his clothes and showered quickly but thoroughly while Anakin deposited his muddy clothes into an empty laundry basket so they could be washed later. He stood hesitantly at the edge of the shower in his underwear watching Obi-Wan rinse the mud off of himself. He stuck his hand under the warm water and then quickly jumped back away from the shower reeling his hand back. 

“You can come in if you want and I can help you rinse off, I’ll turn down the temperature if it’s too hot for you. If you don’t want to shower though the only other option to get clean is a bath.” Obi-Wan said as he rinsed the last of the soap off. 

“I don’t want a shower. I don’t like the feeling,” Anakin said eyes filling with tears that threatened to spill over. 

“Okay, well when I’m done I’ll run a bath and help you clean up that way.” 

Anakin sat down on the bath mat and wrapped himself in a fluffy towel. Obi-Wan would have commented on the fact that he was getting both dirty but it appeared to make the young boy much calmer. As he turned off the water and slipped on his robe he thought about a conversation he had had with one of the other Masters when he had tried to give Anakin a swimming lesson. Aayla had observed the lesson when passing through the pool area and commented to Obi-Wan later that Anakin may have a sensitivity or fear of water. Obi-Wan had started to notice more instances that could point to this being true over the past few weeks so he took out some books to read up on touch sensitivity. He was no healer so he would have to bring the matter up with Madame Che to get her professional opinion, but he was wondering if Anakin had touch sensory sensitivity. 

“Okay, Anakin, do you want to have soap bubbles in the bath or just the plain water?” Anakin fidgeted with the towel that was wrapped around, “bubbles,” he said with certainty. 

“Would you like to come over and feel the temperature so it’s not too hot when you get in?”

“Okay,” he said hesitantly, getting up and walking over to the tub. Even more hesitantly he placed one hand under the faucet to feel the water and kept it there until he told Obi-Wan he liked how it felt. When Obi-Wan showed him the soap options and he chose the blue bottle which smelled like roses. He picked Anakin up so he could sit on the edge of the tub and place his feet in the water and get used to the soapy warmness. As he stood up the water rose up to his hips with the bubbles going even further to reach his stomach. His face looked neutral but his hands gripped the side of the tub and his force presence radiated out discomfort and stress. Obi-Wan took a breath, needing to steady himself so he could best project calming feelings and thoughts to Anakin.

“I’m right here Anakin,” he said as he sent comforting waves towards the younger and placed his hands gently on top of his which were still gripping the tub. Slowly and what Obi-Wan felt to be painfully as well, Anakin slipped down into the tub and sat amidst the mountain of pink-hued bubbles. 

After a few moments of adjusting Anakin’s force presence went from feeling distressed and pained to somewhat comfortable. “Obi-Wan.” “Yes?” “I don’t really like the water,” he paused for a moment thinking, “but I like the bubbles. They feel soft.” Obi-Wan perked up at this adding more evidence to the pile that Anakin liked certain textures but found others distressing. 

“I’m glad you like them, we can use bubbles whenever you want when it’s necessary to get clean.” He started to help Anakin wash the remaining dirt and mud off of his body before they emptied the tub and fill it again with clean water and soap. As he used the softest washcloth he could find to remove any hidden specks of dirt he mused over the comment Anakin had made earlier. 

“Anakin, can I ask you a question? And you don’t have to answer if you don’t want t.” He nodded his head to say yes and scooped up a handful of bubbles, inspecting them. “You said a little while ago you don’t like the water but that you like the bubbles because they are soft. Do you not like the water because it’s not soft?” Anakin places the bubbles back down in the tub patting the small pile gently as he did. 

“The water hurts,” he said looking up at Obi-Wan. “It hurts? I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Does it hurt because of the temperature?” He shook his head, “no, it hurts because it feels like...like....like how metal sounds against the pavement.” Obi-Wan winced at that description he knew exactly what that sounded like and how almost unbearable it was. A wave of guilt came over him now knowing how his padawan felt every time he got in the water; except for now with the bubbles softening the feeling. 

Obi-Wan kept what Anakin had said to him tucked away so that he could bring it up to Madame Che tomorrow. For now, though, he finished helping Anakin wash and then dry off in the biggest and fluffiest towel he could find. He wanted to make sure the young boy felt as comfortable as he could after having to take a bath which was surely unpleasant. He placed the wet towels in the same laundry basket as the muddy clothes and headed back into his room to get dressed while Anakin brushed his teeth. He turned around once dressed and saw Anakin padding into the room but it looked more like a moving pile of towels; he couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. “What would you like to wear Anakin?” “Fleecey,” he said without hesitation. “Fleecey it is.” Anakin picked out his favorite green fleece pajama top and matching pants along with a pair of giraffe slipper socks. “Are you hungry?” he shook his and jumped up and down excitedly. 

He followed Obi-Wan down the hall to the kitchen climbing up onto a counter stool to watch. Since it had been a long day for both of them some comfort food was definitely needed and nothing is more comforting than mac n cheese. When in a pinch he would make the boxed kind but he wanted to make his own tonight. As the pasta cooked he shredded the cheese and started on the sauce. He was just about to add the cheese into the simmering milk mixture when he felt a tug at his sweatshirt. 

“Can I help stir?” Anakin asked looking up at him longingly. “Of course you can,” he said picking Anakin up, balancing him in one arm against his right hip while he grabbed a whisk. “Gently though, we don’t want to spill any out of the pot.” He liked cooking with Anakin because it was something that he really seemed to concentrate on. Finding tasks that Anakin could finish without any kind of distress or fuss was difficult so Obi-Wan took comfort in the small victories. The sauce was now simmering and the pasta was almost done cooking when a knock came at the door. 

When Obi-Wan opened the door still holding Anakin who was also still holding the whisk, they were greeted by a cheerful Aayla. “Obi-Wan! And Anakin! I just came to return the data pads you let me borrow a few days ago. Something smells good, are you cooking?” 

“We’re making mac n cheese!” Anakin said excitedly swinging the whisk around which thankfully was washed already. 

“Wow, that’s very exciting.” 

“Would you like to come in?” Obi-Wan said, gesturing inside the apartments. Aayla bowed her head slightly in an appreciative gesture before entering the apartment and placing the data pads on the kitchen table. A timer went off to drain the pasta, “One second,” Obi-Wan said, walking back to the kitchen and somehow managing to drain the pasta and not drop the pot all while balancing a very excited nine-year-old on his hip. He heard Aayla chuckle behind him and peered over his shoulder to see her smiling. 

“How about you give me this,” he said gently, taking the whisk from Anakin, “and you go check on our clothes since you like putting them in the dryer.” 

“Okay,” he said jumping down and running to the laundry room. 

“What are you laughing at?” he said in a playful yet slightly protective manner. 

“You...I thought you weren’t good with kids or didn’t like them. At least those are your words, not mine.” 

“I’m not a parent Aayla, it’s very difficult for me to wrangle a group of small children who would much rather look at the interesting fish than listen to a boring history lesson,” he said as he poured the sauce in the pasta and mixed it together. 

“Don’t sell yourself short Obi-Wan. You don’t have to do well with every child, just the one that’s the most important. It’s good to try with the other younglings but Anakin is your padawan and he takes precedent. And you do a very good job with him if I do say so myself.” 

“Thank you...I do try, I hope he knows that. I try to tell him but I’m not very good with my own feelings.” 

“I’m sure he knows,” she said smiling softly and reaching over the counter to squeeze his hand. 

That night when Anakin was getting ready for bed Obi-Wan couldn’t help but think about how much of a positive impact the young boy had had on him since he came into his life and flipped it upside down. If he was being honest though he wouldn’t change it for the world. 

“Obi-Wan,” Anakin said, standing in the doorway wearing bright yellow fleece footed pajamas that also had a hood. “Can you read me a story?” he said climbing up into bed. “How about we read together so you can practice your basic?” “Okay,” he replied, moving over to make room for Obi-Wan to sit with him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan speaks with Vokara about Anakin. Then he and Anakin make breakfast together.

In the early hours of the morning, Obi-Wan awoke to the sun drifting in through his curtains. He felt rested and calm. Slowly, he made his way out of bed slipping on his fluffy robe and slippers before washing up and then padding to the kitchen. He stopped briefly in front of Anakin’s door to feel for his presence. The young boy was still asleep as his presence was even, light, and happy. With tea made he grabbed his comm-link to send Vokra a message about his thoughts on Anakin’s apparent fear of the water. He was more than a little surprised when she actually answered bright and early at seven-thirty on a Saturday. 

“Obi-Wan, what can I do for this early in the morning?” 

“Vokara! I didn’t think you would answer...I’m sorry I’m still in my robe,” he said with a slight blush from embarrassment. 

“Please, I’ve seen you in far less than a robe when you’re lying on a bed in the healer's wing.” This time he blushed a deep red that he was sure spread over his whole body. He cleared his throat, 

“I wanted to talk to you about Anakin.” She nodded letting him continue. “Aayla mentioned something in passing recently about how Anakin may have a touch sensory sensitivity and I’ve noticed instances that may make that true more often. He told me just last night when I finally got him to take a full bath instead of a sponge bath that getting in the water feels to his body how metal on concrete sounds. He also said that the bubble soap I added to the bath felt soft and made the water bearable. I’ve also noticed that he greatly enjoys and finds comfort in fabric that is soft like fluffy towels and fleece clothes of all kinds.” She nodded her head, “yes I’ve noticed that as well when I see him around the temple and when he comes in for appointments. I think it’s safe to say he does have a touch sensitivity but careful observation will help to see the full extent. I also think it would also be good to set up some recurring sessions with myself and one of the other healers so we can do some exposure therapy and assess his sensitivities.” 

Obi-Wan sat finishing his tea looking out the window at the rising sun thinking about what Madame Che had said. He wanted to approach the subject carefully with Anakin so as to not make him feel like there was something wrong with him. The young boy was already so sensitive in general he did not want to worsen his emotional state. He was so deep in thought he didn’t feel or hear Anakin wake and pad quietly into the room and stand next to him. It wasn’t until he felt small hands wrap around one of his legs and a head leaning against his thigh did he jump slightly. Relaxing immediately when he saw Anakin by his side, he carded his free hand that was not holding his mug through his short dirty blonde hair. He placed his mug down on the side table and reached to pick Anakin up so he could see the sunrise as well through the tall windows, “good morning young one.” 

“Gaahhmaarnng,” he replied through a large yawn. 

“How about some breakfast eh?” 

“Yes, please,” he replied, jumping down and going over to the counter to climb up into one of the tall chairs.

Anakin pulled out his favorite coloring book and crayons while Obi-Wan made them some eggs and toast. He glanced over his shoulder to see Anakin drawing very much outside the lines but in a way that added to the picture. He had also noticed that Anakin loved to draw and color. His favorite craft activity was to add on to the pictures in the coloring book, and in an impressive way too. Anakin had a knack for adding birds, buildings, wings, plants, and other creatures to the backgrounds of the already sketch out coloring book pages. He was quite impressed all of the time and thought on more than one occasion about asking if Anakin would like to take drawing classes. 

He was about to bring it up when Anakin spoke first, “Obi-Wan.” 

“Yes.” 

“Am I going to have to take a test?” he said looking up at him momentarily and then back to his book which he resumed coloring. 

“Why would you have to take a test?” 

“Because Madame Che said she has to assess me,” he said, never looking up from his coloring. Obi-Wan stilled, he had heard their conversation from earlier. 

“No, there won’t be any tests. It’s more like just going about your daily activities with her watching you,” that was not a good explanation nor one that a nine-year-old could understand...but he wasn’t sure how to explain what the assessment was for or why it needed to be done. 

“How come she needs to watch me do stuff? You already do that,” he looked curious now and a tad confused with his small brows furrowed. He stopped what he was doing so he could lean over the counter and be eye level with Anakin, “well, you’ve told me why you don’t like the water right...and Madame Che and myself want to know if there are other things that bother you so that we can help you adjust to them….like how we put soap bubbles in the water to make it feel better. The better we can help you adjust to things that you find uncomfortable the easier time you’ll have later on when those things come up and we’re not with you or you’re in a public place.” He paused for a moment, “does that make sense at all?” 

He shrugged his shoulders, “I guess so...I mean I don’t like a lot of things I guess that would help.” 

“Well, we can work on them together. You, me, and Madame Che. We can make a list of things you don’t like and we can go through them one at a time.” 

“Okay.” That was the thing about being nine, you didn’t know how to object or find fault in most things yet so you typically just went along with what the adults said. All Anakin wanted to do right now was color and have some breakfast, so that’s exactly what they did.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin has his first assessment session and Obi-Wan learns he has quite the talent for drawing.

“Okay Anakin, so how this is gonna go is you’re gonna have full access to everything in these three rooms. You can play, train, draw, read, snack, nap, whatever you want, and Madame Che and I will do those things with you, okay?” He nodded in response, bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement at the idea of getting to play for a few hours. “Are you okay with us taking some notes while we play?” the other healer (her name was Ana Obi-Wan learned) said. He shook his head still bouncing on his toes. 

For the next three hours, Anakin did some crafting, drawing, snack eating, word games, and yes even some homework. He had asked Ana a question about the moon and she gave him such a good answer he ended up going over some of his astronomy class homework with her. At the Temple, high-level astronomy classes were offered for older Padawans but there were a few lower-level electives as well for the younger children. Anakin found the stars fascinating because well they were interesting but they were also beautiful and he loved drawing them. He was packing up his backpack when Ana came over to say goodbye to him. 

“Did you have fun Anakin?” 

“Yea! I like playing with you, it’s fun talking about the stars and moons. And I got to draw a lot, look I made you a picture,” he said handing her a drawing he had made while she was comparing notes with Madame Che. 

“Anakin...this is beautiful...you made this?” she was shocked by how well-drawn and complex the piece was. Anakin had drawn Ana herself with a large moon and starscape behind her with such detail you would think a professional who had years of experience had made it. 

“Yup, Do you like it?” he asked with his head slightly cocked to one side and eyes curious. 

“I love it. It’s beautiful honey, I’m gonna frame it and put it up in my apartment.” Anakin beamed and then bounded over to the door where Obi-Wan was speaking with Madame Che. 

Ana saw her opening when Anakin put his things down to go to the bathroom before leaving. “Obi-Wan, can I speak with you for a moment?” 

“Of course...is something wrong?” he asked with a worried pang across his face. 

“No, no nothing is wrong. Quite the opposite in fact. I wanted to show you a drawing Anakin did today. He actually said he made it for me, but it’s so incredible for someone his age that I had to show you. His talent is remarkable, I really do hope you encourage him to keep learning and practicing art.” She handed him the drawing and his jaw dropped. 

“Anakin drew this?” She nodded her head in excitement smiling wide, “he really seems to enjoy art very much and I think it would be extremely beneficial for him as a child but also as a child with sensitivities. Beneficial as an outlet for him to express himself and feel confident in what he is doing, which he may not always feel in the rest of his life. He’s a very smart, curious, and creative child but his sensitivity to textures is not his only struggle,” she paused to take a breath and let Obi-Wan digest what she had just said, "I think this is definitely a positive part of his coping skills and should be something to watch over time to see if he uses art in any particular situations or just as a general activity."

Over the next few months both Obi-Wan, as well as Madame Che and Ana, watched Anakin's art develop. He seemed to use partake in the activity both for pleasure but also when he was feeling distressed. Obi-Wan noticed in particular that he would turn more towards coloring books when he was stressed, possibly so he did not have to think about the drawings and could just enjoy. Ana has started to notice this along with a few others things that she wanted to bring up with Obi-Wan. When he came to pick Anakin up one day she asked him to stay a few minutes to chat. 

“He’s been coming in for sessions for a few months now and we’ve been able to observe him in this setting alone but also in settings with the other padawans during his classes and training. In those situations he emits a strong sensation of stress and anxiety from talking with the other younglings and taking part in group activities,” she paused again this time taking a moment to think about her next words carefully. 

“Through being able to assess Anakin in these various settings, Vokra and I think it would be good for the three to sit down, so we can talk.”

So, half an hour later Aayla had come to pick Anakin up and bring him back to their apartment while Obi-Wan stayed to talk with Madame Che and Ana. 

“I think we can all agree that Anakin does have touch sensory sensitivity to certain textures and materials. The sessions where we have observed him interacting with the others around his age have raised questions about a potential high functioning autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. We have not been able to observe him in enough group sessions to make any more of a definitive diagnosis. It is also entirely possible that the early signs of a potential ASD diagnosis could be present for another reason. He is in fact very young and very new to the Temple which means he may just be having a hard time adjusting to his new way of life and new peers. His sensory sensitivity does seem to impact other areas of his life if they are not addressed in the moment. However, only time doing more assessments will tell us if he has an actual diagnosis or not.” 

Obi-Wan paused taking in this information as it was much more than he had anticipated. “Thank you for making me aware of your concerns. I will keep them in mind as we go on with daily life to see if I notice anything that could also be of concern.” 

As Obi-Wan walked back to the apartment he couldn’t help but wonder if he had missed any warning signs that Anakin may have a more serious disorder that could need much more attention. He would be sure to watch Anakin closing and ask all of his teachers for updates on how he is doing in his classes. He wanted nothing more than to give Anakin the best support and care in all areas of his life. He thought back on what Ana had said about Anakin enjoying art immensely and seeming to use it as an outlet. He smiled to himself as the perfect Christmas gift for Anakin popped into his head, a set of proper art supplies. Yes, that’s what he would get him tomorrow when he went out to do errands. 

The next morning Obi-Wan got up bright and early to make a breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. It was snowing. Anakin had never seen snow before, in fact, he’d never had Christmas before so Obi-Wan wanted to make it special for him. After breakfast, he would run out to get all the things he needed for the holidays while Anakin had a tutoring session. He had been working on his basic reading and writing since they were not his first language. 

“Obi-Wan!” Anakin shouted as he came running into the kitchen coming to a sudden stop right in front of him looking bewildered and excited. His hair was tousled from sleep, he only had one slipper sock on, and his pajama top was on backward...somehow. Obi-Wan chuckled at the sight of him, “what’s all the yelling about?” (He already knew the answer though...it was the snow). 

“It’s snowing! Can we go play?” 

“How about we eat some pancakes first and get dressed, then you can play until tutoring?” “Pancakes! Yum!” he said plopping down at the set kitchen table ready to eat. 

An hour and a half later Anakin came in from playing with a few of the other younglings to get ready for tutoring. Obi-Wan was glad he was beginning to socialize a little bit better with his peers and that the snow gave them something to do together they all enjoyed. 

“Okay, all ready,” he said coming out of his room having changed into his favorite brown corduroy pants and a dark green pullover sweater. His face was still slightly red from the cold weather but he would warm up soon enough from the Temple heat. He walked with Obi-Wan across the temple to the classroom where he was meeting with one of the older Padawans, Tara, who was his tutor. 

“Good morning,” she said to both of them, bowing her head slightly. 

“Good morning,” Obi-Wan said, returning the gesture, “alright Anakin, I’ll be back in two hours okay?” 

“Yup,” he said, giving him a quick hug and entering the room to get started. Perfect, he had two hours to run the errands needed to make this Christmas very special.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan runs some errands in preparation for Anakin's first Christmas dinner and a joyous evening ensues.

Obi-Wan made it down to one of the shopping levels of Coruscant in only twenty minutes. After perusing one of the art stores he heard about from a few other people he ended up getting Anakin two different sized sketch pads, a nice set of pencils both colored and not, as well as some charcoal. He had seen Anakin draw with charcoal during his sessions with Ana occasionally and thought he might like to explore the particular type of drawing. After he paid for the art supplies he went to one of the markets to pick up all the food he would need for the upcoming holiday which was fast approaching in just a week. He knew Anakin liked ham so he picked one out along with a few different veggies and other ingredients he would need to make all the sides. Of course, he couldn’t skip the baking aisle because you could never have too many holiday treats. As he was waiting to check something shiny caught his eye that made him jump out of line. Along the far wall of the store lined up on shelves were cards, various wrapping papers, tapes, and ribbons. The matte green ribbon with jewels crusted on the edges was what he had seen from the line. He knew Anakin would love it and it would be perfect to wrap his presents in. While he was standing there he also found an empty card that would allow him to write his own message that had a depiction of fish swimming through a galaxy, he dropped it in the basket. Anakin loved all art relating to the stars and had developed an affinity for fish as well. Perhaps because he grew up on a desert planet where water was more scarce than anything else so he had never seen fish. 

Ten minutes before Anakin’s tutor lesson ended he was back in the Temple waiting in the hall for him. He had dropped off the groceries and presents (hiding those in his dresser) before walking across the way. 

As he and Anakin walked back to their apartment Obi-Wan couldn’t help but watch how Anakin’s eyes lit up at the decorations around the temple. Green garlands, wreaths, and white lights hung along the walls of the temple. Christmas was a beautiful time to be at the Temple since they usually got quite a bit of snow not to mention the decorations and food cooked at this time. The Temple cafeteria usually had okay food but it was the apartments themselves from where the smells of the holidays wafted. Many of the Jedi amped up their daily cooking around this time which made the halls smell of ginger, cinnamon, maple, honey, and rosemary. 

Tonight was Christmas Eve which is why Obi-Wan was shocked he actually finished his errands in a timely manner. He thought he would be stuck in lines at the stores for a very long time but thankfully by some miracle he was in and out fairly quickly. Anakin had never had a Christmas celebration or family dinner which is also why tonight is so special for him. It was now a little past three and they were both in the kitchen preparing for dinner. Obi-Wan had put the ham in the oven which needed to bake for a few hours and Anakin was setting the table. 

A few hours later at quarter past six Obi-Wan answered the door to see Aayla who he had invited a couple of weeks ago. Just after them, Ana arrived who had been invited by Anakin since she had become a source of comfort for him. Ana brought her fiance with her who Anakin thought was very cool since he was a fighter pilot. Arriving last per usual almost late at a quarter of seven was Quinlan Vos and his padawan Maria. “Quin! I thought you might not show,” said Obi-Wan in a playful yet slightly smug manner. “What and miss you’re cooking never,” he said pulling Obi-Wan into a hug. Maria poked out from behind Quin’s legs looking shyly at Obi-Wan, she was only 8 and very shy around new people, sometimes even people she knew already like himself. They came in and took off their robes hanging them near the heater to dry off since they were damp from being outside. Maria gave a shy hello to Obi-Wan but stayed quiet other than a please and thank you when offered a drink. She sat on a kitchen stool watching Quin and Obi-Wan talk. She could hear distant voices down the hall which would turn out to be Ana and her fiance Johar who were being shown a couple of new drawings done by Anakin. 

When Maria saw them she un-tucked her feet, legs dangling down off of the stool, “hi Anakin”, she said. “Hi Maria,” he said with a pink blush which did not go unnoticed by all of the adults in the room. Maria swiveled on the stool looking at him waiting for him to speak but he did not speak. “Maria, do you like to draw or paint?” Obi-Wan asked, looking for an opening. “Oh yes, I’m not very good but it’s fun!” And opening found. “Anakin, why don’t you show some of your paintings to Maria I’m sure she’d like to see them,” Obi-Wan offered as a way to help him start a conversation. “Okay,” he said quietly, still looking at his feet. Maria jumped down, taking her juice with her, and followed Anakin to his room. 

“Well it would appear your padawan has a crush,” Quin said smiling. “So it would,” Obi-Wan replied. Perhaps Maria would become a friend to Anakin. Obi-Wan made a mental note to try and ask him later to see if he’d talk about his feelings for the younger girl. 

Dinner was served and they all enjoyed the abundance of food including the baked ham, various vegetable dishes, and some freshly baked rolls courtesy of Aayly and Johar. The night wound down with warm mugs of hot chocolate (a tad bit spiked for the adults) while sitting in the living room telling stories and doing a few puzzles. Anakin smiled the whole night and had become much more talkative with Maria which made everyone happy. Anakin was such a sweet boy who cared deeply for those around him and Obi-Wan wanted nothing more than to see him happy. He knew that Anakin had been feeling out of place and lonely at the Temple so far. Tonight had made that slightly better by bringing the people he cared about to him and also making him a new friend. 

That night while Obi-Wan cleaned up Anakin changed into his pajamas and brushed his teeth. He came out into the living room to see Obi-Wan blowing out the candles they had lit hours earlier. “Obi-Wan guess what?” “What?” he asked with his back still to the younger. When he did not answer he sighed and turned around, “what Anakin?” “I took a shower!” he said loudly and excitedly, showing Obi-Wan his hair which was still wet. “Anakin that’s wonderful, I’m so proud of you! And all by yourself too!” They walked back to Anakin’s room so he could get into bed and Obi-Wan could read with him. Not even ten minutes later he was fast asleep. Obi-Wan smiled to himself at how good of a day it had been and tomorrow he would get to give Anakin the art supplies he had gotten him. Now that was something that really made him smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas morning so Obi-Wan gives Anakin his new art supplies and reflects on how their relationship has grown.

Christmas morning came and Anakin crawled into Obi-Wan’s bed at the crack of dawn. He snuggled under the blankets nuzzling into Obi-Wan’s side trying not to wake him. When Obi-Wan woke an hour later Anakin was wrapped around him and sound asleep. Carefully he detangled Anakin from himself and quietly crept out of bed to the fresher. 

After washing up he made a nice big mug of tea to wake himself up. He decided to enjoy the quiet moments of peace before Anakin woke. The quiet was short-lasting though as Anakin came running into the living room no more than ten minutes later. “Obi-Wan!” he said very excitedly, “happy Christmas.” “Happy Christmas Anakin,” he replied, putting his mug down and accepting the small boy's hug. “I have a surprise for you.” “You do?!” Anakin asked excitedly. “Yep,” he said, reaching next to the couch, “here we are.” He passed Anakin the wrapped gifts and watched as the young boy's eyes lit up with the most joy he’d ever seen. Anakin unwrapped the presents one at a time to reveal two new sketch pads, a set of charcoal, and a nice set of pencils as well. “Obi-Wan…” he said in a small voice, tears forming in his eyes, “thank you so much...I can’t wait to draw some new pictures.” 

He crawled up onto the couch next to Obi-Wan quietly. “Are you okay Anakin? I thought these would make you happy but instead, you seem rather sad.” “I’m really very happy, I am. I’ve just...I’ve never gotten a present before. It means a lot to me that you went through the trouble.” “Trouble Anakin, this was no trouble at all. It was something I wanted to do for you. You’re such an incredible artist and I know it helps you when you feel overwhelmed and gives you an outlet to express your feelings. I want you to be able to do that whenever you want or need to,” he paused for a moment to bring Anakin into his lap. “You’ve made so much progress in these past months with Ana, Madame Che, and in your classes as well. Plus, you seem to have made a new friend which I also know can be hard for you. I am so proud of all the progress you have made.” Anakin had tears in his eyes at Obi-Wan’s words, “I’m proud of you too Obi-Wan.” “You’re proud of me?” he asked curiously. “‘Yea, for taking care of me!” Obi-Wan smiled and laughed, “that’s what I’m here for and want to be here for.” “I love you Obi-Wan,” Anakin said looking at him. Obi-Wan held back a small shocked gasp before realizing that he did in fact love him back. After the months of being together and going through so much emotionally together as well, he had grown to care for Anakin deeply. He might even go as far as to say attached but he would never say it aloud to the other Jedi for fear of them, not understanding. He knew Anakin would understand though, “I love you too Anakin. I always will and I’ll always be here for you.” 

Their morning was peaceful with a nice breakfast and more tea for Obi-Wan while Anakin spread out all of his new art supplies on the floor and got to work on a new drawing. Anakin had a ways to go in developing emotionally and mentally but Obi-Wan would be there for him and so would all the support he had created along the way


End file.
